Winter Holiday
by Iris Ixchel
Summary: Based on the movie The Holiday. HG and GW are getting bored with their lives so they decide to switch houses for the holiday break. But when HG finds out her neighbor is DM and when GW gets another shot at HP, this Christmas should be interesting. Fluffy
1. Switching

**Winter Holiday**

**By:** Iris Ixchel

**Summary:** Loosely based on the movie The Holiday. HG and GW are getting bored with their lives so they decide to switch houses and lives for the holiday break. But when HG finds out who her neighbor is and when GW gets another shot at HP, this Christmas will be interesting. Fluffy and sweet! HGDM GWHP a little RWLL

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything of the Harry Potter brand

* * *

Hermione Granger sighed as she tapped her quill against her desk. As per usual she had already finished her paperwork well in advance and once again had nothing to do. Looking around, she realized that she had been doing the same thing for a month and a half. Hermione had opted for a job as a professor for higher education of gifted wizards and witches at the newly built university and thought it would be a bit more exciting than the ministry. (She had worked there for three years and found it incredibly dull.) Instead her classes consisted of stuck up kids who had daddy get them in with their money. Not the fresh crop of eager to learn students who would make her proud that she had expected. She almost fainted when she saw a student who _actually _cared about learning the previous day. It was yet another dead end job that in no way challenged her, which considering this was Hermione Granger was a must. Thankfully the winter break was coming up and she wouldn't have to think about any work for a glorious two week period.

As she was leaving the university, she felt her cell phone vibrate. Pressing the talk button she heard her best friend Ginny Weasely say hello on the other line.

"What's up?" Hermione asked as she walked quickly down the crowded street.

"Can we meet up at the Three Broomsticks in say thirty minutes?"

"Uh, sure. Why?"

"Because I have an idea." Ginny said simply and Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny having an idea usually ended up with one of them in trouble.

"What kind of idea?" she asked suspiciously.

"You'll see!" Ginny said cheerfully and then promptly hung up.

* * *

Ginny was already waiting for Hermione at a table when she entered the Three Broomsticks. Hermione sat down and asked immediately, 

"Now what is this idea of yours?" Ginny grinned and said.

"You and I have gone on for years about how we hate our jobs and how boring our lives have become right?"

"Yes."

"And the holiday break is coming up for both of us if I checked my calendar correctly." she continued.

"Yeah, what are you getting at?" Hermione asked.

"I purpose we switch houses for the holiday break. Instead of you living in your normal city house you would live in my rural house. Instead of living my rural house, I would live your city house. We would get to meet different people and it sure beats the hell out of the ordinary Christmas." Hermione pondered the offer. She had been meaning to take a vacation outside of the city for months but never found the time for actually plan it out. And Ginny was forever going on about it was so nice to live there too...

"I guess we could give it a go." she said. "I mean, it's only two weeks." Ginny smiled.

"Excellent! We'll just get each other caught up on anything important about the houses and then we'll floo to each others on Friday." Hermione nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Hermione looked in her suitcase for the millionth time to make sure she had packed enough things for two weeks. 

"Toothpaste? Check. Brush? Check." she started to tick off to herself before she zipped up the suitcase and dragged it in front of the fire place. She reached up to a pot on the mantle and took a pinch of the powder inside and threw it into the fire.

"Ginny Weasley's house!" Hermione called and proceded to walk through the fire. When she arrived in her destination, she was amazed by what she saw. The house was small but it was cozy. The living room was what she assumed she had landed in. The living room lead directly to the kitchen on the right and there was a hall straight ahead that led to the front door. Also in the hall was a set a stairs. The house had a rustic homey feel that only a Weasely could create. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Ginny's mother had had a hand in designing the inside of the house. Hermione decided to go unpack and then explore the rest of the house. Poorly dragging her suitcase up the stairs, she heard someone open a door in the back of the house. Frozen, her mind started to turn into a panic type state. The person could be a robber or a escaped convict for all she knew! Yet she remembered she could use magic if she needed, she could beat him in a fight. Quickly grabbing her wand from the top pocket of her suitcase, she mustered her courage and headed down the stairs and headed to where she could hear foot steps. She opened a door and instantly shot out her arm, wand in front of her, ready to attack.

"AHHH!" came the noise from someone who was on the ground, holding their nose. "Bloody hell Red, no need to go mental-" the person stopped when he opened his eyes and realized he wasn't talking to Ginny. "Granger?! What the hell are you doing here?" Hermione's jaw wanted to drop to the floor. In front of her was Draco Malfoy, he arch rival in school. Her rival whom she hadn't seen in three years.

"I should be asking the same to you Malfoy."

"I live next door." he explained.

"Draco Malfoy, the richest wizard in Europe lives in the country? I think not." Draco, seeing that Hermione wasn't going to up him at all, stood up.

"Still have that right hook you had in third year I see." he muttered and he rubbed his nose. "Yes Granger, I do live next door. It's one of my many houses. If anything you are the one breaking in." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ginny and I have switched houses for the holiday break." she said.

"Really now. Seems like something Red would cook up." Draco said to no one in particular.

"Ginny. Her name isn't 'Red'. Her name is Ginny." she corrected.

"Red doesn't mind it." Draco retorted. Hermione gave him a questioning look.

"You and Ginny aren't together are you?" Draco laughed.

"No, she's a nice girl but not my type." Hermione was relieved instantly. Draco smirked. "What? Happy that you think you might actually have a shot at me?"

"Never, Malfoy. Why would Ginny let you come in her house anyway?"

"She usually doesn't mind me coming over here for odds and ends. Just looking for a cup of sugar." he said and held up a measuring cup.

"You cooking? It's a miracle! Draco Malfoy doing muggle chores!" she said sarcastically. Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's been three years Granger, grow up a little won't you? People change." Hermione was somewhat shocked by the retort that when he tried to make his way to the kitchen, she didn't stop him. She actually stayed where she was. It was a couple minutes but when he came back, cup full of sugar in hand. When he saw she was still standing there he once again smirked at her.

"Guess it'll be an interesting holiday won't it Granger?"

* * *

Ginny was relaxing comfortably on Hermione's couch on the other hand. Hermione's house seemed huge to Ginny compared to hers. Yet Hermione always did get the high paying jobs so it didn't completely surprise Ginny. She was about to drift off to sleep when she heard a knock at the door. Groaning she got up and opened the door. Who she saw, completely surprised her. 

"Harry?"

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There you have it! Chapter One! Love it? Hate it? Let me know! 


	2. Neighborly Chats

**A/N:** Thank you to all who have reviewed so far!!

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"Ginny?" answered Harry in shock. Ginny was dumbfounded and could only stare at the boy wonder she had practically stalked as a youth. "What are you doing here?" She shook her head now realizing she must've looked like an idiot and snapped back to reality. 

"Hermione and I switched houses for the break." she explained and Harry gave her a confused look. "It's a long story. Is it urgent that you see her?"

"No, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would pop by." he said and then an awkward moment came over them. Then she realized,

Harry Potter. Harry freaking Potter was at her door step and she hadn't seen him in three years. What the hell was she doing just standing there?!

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, noticing the temperature was actually quite cold. Harry nodded and Ginny stepped aside for him to come inside. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure." he answered and then Ginny realized that she have no idea where the kitchen was. She hadn't bothered to actually check out any of the house except the room she had popped up in. Harry seemed to sense her distress and chuckled. "Need some help?" Ginny smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, it seems I do. I just got here and I was going to actually sleep when you knocked." she explained.

"Oh! I'm sorry, if you want me to leave-" Harry started but Ginny hushed him.

"I asked you to come inside didn't I?" she said with a smile. "Now which way is the kitchen?"

* * *

Hermione on the other hand was debating whether to go outside and pick up the newspaper that she had noticed Ginny hadn't picked up this morning. She was debating because she had changed into her pajamas early and she had nothing else to do. So why not read the newspaper? Yet she was terrified someone would see her even though she had a robe on. Finally resolving that she would run as fast as humanly possible, she counted to three and then whipped open the door and made a run for it. She had picked the paper up when she heard, 

"Nice pajamas there Granger." Draco snickered. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned in the direction of his voice. He was smirking once again, and leaning against the doorframe of his house.

"Thanks!" she said sarcastically, desperately wanting to go inside where it was warm. Also she didn't want to endure the taunting she knew would be coming from him. She turned around and started to walk back to the house when she heard him call back

"Your welcome!" he paused and she glared at him. "What? It's a compliment!"

"You giving out compliments to me? Pfft! Now if you will excuse me, I have some reading to do." and she once again started for the house and once again he said something.

"And what will you be reading Granger?" She groaned and turned in his direction again.

"The newspaper, if you must know."

"Really, now? I didn't get one, can I borrow it?" She gave him an annoyed look but still tried to remain calm.

"Sure, Malfoy. After I'm done with it."

"Actually I was thinking more of I get it now and then _you_ read it later."

"Are you kidding me?!" she also screamed in frustration. Her feet were numb, she was in public in her pajamas and robe, and her childhood enemy was loving every minute of it. "Hell no."

"Oh Granger cursing! Now that is an event." Hermione huffed and crossed her arms in an attempt to keep warm.

"I'm not going over there, if you want this paper so badly your going to have to come and get it. And I will be in the house." she snapped back and ran back to the house. Unfortunately for her as she was entering the house, she saw a figure beside her. Sure enough it was Draco and she was in shock.

"How...how did you get here so fast?" he smirked.

"Thought you would know this one Granger, magic."

* * *

"I can't believe it's you, I haven't seen you in what? Three years?" Harry commented as he and Ginny were sitting on the couch with their newly made hot chocolate. Ginny nodded. 

"That sounds about right."

"What have you been doing?" he asked.

"I went to Italy, Spain, and France after school ended and spent some time there. Settled back here, outside of town and I help out with Fred and George's shop. I come up with antidotes to various things they sell."

"Wow." he said, clearly impressed. "I would kill to go to any one of those countries." he mentioned.

"Graduation present." she explained. "It was amazing, I was basically backpacking the whole time for almost a year. I met some of the best people really, I still talk with some of them today. But I do enjoy having the inside scoop to Fred and George's creations. I owl Hagrid when they come up with anything too terrifying so he can be on the lookout at Hogwarts." she said, now grinning.

"You still talk to Hagrid?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course! When you, Ron, and Hermione left there weren't many people I could talk to. Do you talk to him?" Harry paused.

"Sometimes, I don't as much as I should, I admit." she nodded.

"Enough about me, what have you been doing?"

"I'm going to be a student teacher at Hogwarts for a semester and then I'll be able to teach for real probably sometime next year."

"Oh really? I always saw you as a teacher! Do you know what you want to teach?" she asked.

"Probably Defense Against the Dark Arts." he said and Ginny smiled.

"I should've known."

"Did you and I think it was, Dean?" he took a moment then continued, "Yeah it was him, did you two stay together?" Harry asked and it took Ginny aback. Ginny and Dean had gotten back together for a brief time back when the trio had graduated but she had quickly let him go when it clear they wanted different things at that point in their lives. She was surprised he had remembered that.

"No, I'm actually single right now." she mentioned, blushing a bit. "Yourself?"

"Nope, I'm single as well." she nodded, trying to not be secretly pleased with this fact. Sure she was practically in love with Harry when she was younger but she was an adult now, she couldn't possibly still have feelings for him... He seemed a little flustered and when he offered to get more hot chocolate she didn't stop him. But when she saw Harry through the kitchen doorway, moving around the kitchen like he owned it she felt a flutter of butterflies. A warning flag went off in her head when he returned to the couch. As he was giving her a cup, their hands brushed against each other. Ginny felt sparks go off and then she realized then and there, she was in deep, _deep_ trouble

* * *

_This is very weird _Hermione thought as she had the sight of Draco Malfoy reading the newspaper on Ginny's couch. This was all too much, too fast and most of all it was all too weird! What were the chances of switching houses with your best friend for just a holiday and finding your arch enemy lives next door? _Very slim_ she answered herself as she sipped her tea. She finally had had enough. 

"Why aren't you hexing the stuffing out of me?" she asked bluntly. Draco lowered the paper and looked taken aback.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Your not arguing with me, you were very civil in waiting for the paper, and you haven't called me muggle born at all. Are you okay in the head? Or better yet what do you have planned?" he laughed.

"I've got nothing planned and I'm quite sane." he smirked. "It's been three years I'm interested in why the great Granger hasn't popped up on every front page of every wizard paper, that's all." she rolled her eyes.

"Why do you care what I do?" she asked, now curious.

"Just seeing how my competition has stacked up since school, nothing wrong with that." he explained.

"If you must know, I teach at the new university." she said quickly, now annoyed. He raised an eyebrow.

"Not Hogwarts? Why?"

"The university is for 'gifted' students in magic, or at least that's what they say in the information packets." the last part being muttered under her breath.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he asked, and Hermione froze. Damn it, he had heard her.

"It's all about whose family can give more money to the school, not actually about talent. It's like being locked in a room full of clones of you for hours." she involuntary glared as she remembered. When he looked ready to laugh at her, she asked "And what have you been doing?"

"Living life, something you wouldn't know anything about." he answered.

"Well some of us don't have massive amounts of money." she shot back. "And I'm living my life really well for your information because I earned it."

"By working around the clock." he scoffed. "Take a vacation, actually put down a book. It's better than you think because the world actually doesn't explode when you put a book down." she rolled her eyes at him.

"Fasinating!" she said sarcastically. She was wrong, he wasn't going soft. He was still as always, an ass.

* * *

As Ginny felt the pull of sleep drift away from her eyes, she blinked to make aware of her surroundings. She found herself lying on something...wait make that _someone_. She smiled when she saw a sleeping Harry under her. She resisted the urge to lift her head from his chest and remembered they had been talking and eventually she had gotten very tired and fallen asleep. Yet she didn't know how she ended ontop of Harry, stretched out on the couch. She laughed softly, she would have to ask Harry that when he woke up. Until then she decided, she might as well go back to sleep in his arms.

* * *

"GRANGER!" shouted Draco and he heard an "OPF!" and then a tumble to the floor above him. Hermione looked up from the floor at the clock next to the bed that read 7:30 A.M. She muttered. 

"Are you kidding me?" as he walked into the bedroom and snickered when he had seen Hermione had fallen out of bed. She glared at him.

"Not a word. What the hell could you want at seven thirty in the morning?"

"The power is out at my house." he explained and it took her a minute to realize something.

"You've never had a power outage before have you?" she asked, somewhat in shock. He nodded. "Oh my word...and you want me to fix it?" she groaned and pushed herself off the floor so she was standing. "I have to take a look at your circut breaker at your house, but give me a second to change."

"Fine but make it quick." he answered and left the room. Hermione sighed and reached for a pair boots, a sweater, and a pair of jeans. _This is going to be interesting..._


End file.
